What makes a maraschino cherry different than a regular cherry?!
What makes a maraschino cherry different than a regular cherry?
I love a maraschino cherry or two in my diet pepsi, or to eat them the way they are. I was wondering if they are grown like that or if they are 'normal' cherries but it's the way they are processed.
Answers:
A maraschino cherry is a preserved, sweetened cherry, typically made from light-colored sweet cherries such as the Royal Ann, Rainier, or Gold varieties. The cherries are first preserved in a brine solution (usually sulfur dioxide) or alcohol, then soaked in a suspension of food coloring, sugar syrup, artificial and natural flavors, and other components. Maraschino cherries dyed red are typically almond-flavored, while cherries dyed green are usually peppermint-flavored.
Further steps along this process make glace and crystallized cherries; after soaking, the cherries are drained and then soaked in glucose and air-dried, producing glace cherries; a further stage involves another soaking in glucose which coats them with sugar, creating crystallized cherries.